Lid for journal boxes



Dec. 28, 1954 G. B. DOREY LID FOR JOURNAL BOXES Original Filed Deo. 1.5. 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l h\\ Ud IIIIII. Re 'il om mi Dec. 28, 1954 G. B. DoREY LID FOR JOURNAL BOXES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Dec. l5, 1949 Dec. 28, 1954 G. B. Dom-:Y

LID FOR JOURNAL BOXES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Dec. 15 1949 /N www CQU,

Dec. 28, 1954 G. B. DoREY 2,698,207

LID FOR JOURNAL BOXES Original Filed Dec. 15. 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent O LID FoR JOURNAL BOXES George B. Dorey, Westmount, Quebec, Canada, assgnor to Continental Transport Appliances, Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a company of Canada substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 133,197, December 15, 1949. This application June 30, 1951, Serial No. 234,583

l Ciairn. (Cl. 308-47) My invention relates to an improved lid for journal boxes such as employed in connection with the axle boxes of railway cars and the like and is a substitute application for my abandoned patent application, Serial No. 133,197 iiledDecember 15, 1949.

The invention which particularly relates to a two-piece articulated type of lid is by way of an improvement on my former United States Patent No. 2,292,747 of August l1, 1942, wherein is shown an articulated type of lid, having a torsion spring and an equalizing spring for dividing and apportioning the spring tension between the two parts of the lid. In the said structure the dis tribution of pressure is such that even when the lid is in closed position the spring tension operates to force the retainer and lid apart and it is an object of my present invention to provide an articulated lid structure wherein the spring tension will be exerted in a lid closing direction and divided between the retainer and lid to urge both of said members to closed position. It is also an object of my invention to improve the mounting of the lid at the location of articulation and provide improved connections for the lid and retainer. My invention also resides in the particular form of retainer employed.

For further comprehension of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical frontal elevational view of a journal box having my improved lid structure applied theret0.

Fig. 2 is a `vertical side view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, as viewed from left to right.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken through the lid assembly at the location of articulation on a line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical frontal view of the retainer as shown in detached relation.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the retainer shown in Figure 4, as viewed from left to right.

Figure 6 is a vertical end View of the front end of the retainer shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 7 is a vertical cross sectional view taken through the retainer on a line 7-7 of Fig. 5

Figure 8 is a fractional sectional view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the retainer as taken on a line 8-8 of Figure 4 Figure 9 is a perspective View of the pintle connection between the lid and retainer.

Figure 10 is a vertical side view'of the spring assembly.

Figure 11 is a frontal elevational view of the spring assembly shown in Fig. 10 as viewed from left to right.

Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view taken through the journal box on a line corresponding substantially to a line 12--12 of Fig. l showing the retainer in open lid position with the equalizing lever and spring in nontensioned relation and with a removable lever positioned as at the commencement of the spring tensioning operation.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 except that the spring assembly is shown in fully tensioned position and as retained in such position by means of a temporarily placed pin.

Figure 14 is a vertical transverse sectional View on an enlarged scale taken through the box and lid and taken on a line corresponding substantially to a line 14-14 of Fig. 1 and showing in diagrammatic form the distribution of load as transmitted through the retainer and 2,698,207 Patented Dec. 28, 1954 ICC the equalizing lever respectively by my improved structure and indicating the new result thereby obtained.

Referring to the drawings, a journal box 10 is indicated as having spaced apart side walls 11h11 united by a transversely extending upper wall 12 and a lower transversely extending wall 13, the edge portions of said respective walls 11, 12 and 13 forming the face 14 of the box opening. Extending upwardly from the upper wall 12 at the central portion of the box is a hinge lug 15 apertured at 16 for the accommodation of a Vpintle 17 whereby the lid assembly is pivotally mounted on the box. The said lug 15 includes angularly related ilat cam faces for cooperation with a spring for maintaining the lid assembly in either closed or opened position, one of said cam faces extends vertically and is disposed forwardly of the aperture 16 and is indicated at 18 and the other `of said faces extends substantially horizontally and is indicated at 19. The said faces 18 and 19 at their meeting location are joined by a curved corner piece 2li.

rl`he lid assembly includes a lid 21 and ya retainer 22, said members being pivotally connected by a pintle 23 which is preferably disposed centrally of the box opening.

The lid 21 is formed with a substantially iiat body portion 24 having downwardly turned marginal edges 25 and a centrally disposed lug 26 through which the pintle 23 extends. Said lug 26 has its upper inner surface formed of arcuate shape as indicated at 27 in order to provide for a limited degree of rocking movement of the pintle 23 along said upper surface. The pintle 23 is of semi circular shape in cross section to provide an upper curved surface 28 and a lower flat surface 29 which flat surface rests on the lid 21, said lid at the location of contact curves as at 36 in a direction opposite to the curved surface 27 of the lug to provide for rocking of the lid in a direction at right angles to the axis of pintle 23.

It will be apparent that the lid is adapted to have a limited degree of pivotal movement around the pivotal axis of the pintle 23 and also limited rocking movement in a direction at right angles thereto thus providing for universal movement of the lid in all directions.

The retainer 22 is preferably in the form of a housing including a pair of spaced apart vertical side walls 31-31 united transversely by a front wall 32 and upper and lower walls forming end walls as indicated at 33 and 34 respectively. Extending laterally from the upper portion of the side walls 31 are laterally extending ears 35 through which the pintle 17 extends. At the lower end of the retainer the side walls 31 extend inwardly transversely as at 36 thence forwardly to present a transversely narrowed portion of the housing adjacent the center of the lid formed by side wall sections 37-37. Extending laterally from the lower margin of said side wall sections 31 and 37 are laterally extending anges 38.

The said wall sections 37 are spaced a lesser distance than the space between the upper sections 31-31 and between said narrowed portion of the retainer, the hinge lug 26 of the lid is received. The pair of walls 37 are apertured as at 39 to receive the pintle 23 and in vertical alignment therewith and for a slight distance outwardly thereof the laterally extending flanges 38 are notched as indicated at 40, thus presenting an open lower face for the apertures 39 and thereby facilitating the manufacture of the retainer in casting form inasmuch as the necessity for the usual cores for the apertures is eliminated. The upper surface 41 of each outstanding flange 38 forms the support for the lower ilat surface 29 of the pintle 23.

The pintle 23 at each end thereof is slotted as indicated at 42 to present bifurcated end portions 43 which are adapted to be spread apart to maintain the pin in position as indicated at 44 in Figure l.

Interposed between the lug and lid assembly and bearing on the front wall 32 of the retainer is a torsion spring 45 formed of spring wire and includes an intermediate portion 46 formed of a pair of coils each formed of a series of convolutions. The spring is extended in opposite direction from said coiled portions as generally indicated at 47 and 48. The portion 47 extends upwardly in the form of a loop 49 and has an antifriction roller 50 mounted thereon to engage with the lat faces of the lug. The section 48 includes the two ends of the spring which are extended downwardly in spaced relation from the outer ends of the coiled section and lead towards the center of the lid. The lower ends of the spring are bent inwardly towards each other to present trunnion like portions 51.

The intermediate coiled portion 46 of the spring is received and held in a concave seat 52 formed in the front Wall 32 of the retainer 22. The axial center of said coiled portion 46 of the spring is on a line 46a which when the lid is in closed position, extends at right angles to the vertical at face 18 of the lug 15 and passes through the axis of hinge pintle 17.

The trunnion ends 51 of the spring are spaced appreciably from the axis of articulation and the space intermediate the said trunnions and the pintle 23 is bridged by an equalizing lever 152 which is pivotally connected intermediate its ends with the said trunnions and has oppositely extending arms leading therefrom as indicated at 53 and 54 respectively for contacting with the retainer and lid respectively.

The lever 152 consists of a plate member having side flanges 55 apertured at 56 for accommodating the trunnion ends 51 of the spring and the arm S3 is adapted to rest on a fulcrum seat 57 xedly associated with the retainer 22 and the opposite arm 54 is adapted to rest on the outer curved surface 59 of the lug 26 of the lid. The body of the lever 152 is provided with an opening 60 for receiving a suitable operating tool 61 whereby the said spring equalizing lever may be swung about its fulcrum seat 57 and the spring tensioned thereby.

The fulcrum seat 57 on the retainer is preferably located substantially midway between the pivotal axes of the retainer pintles and is incorporated in a cross-structure 62 depending from the front wall 32 and extending between the side walls 31 of the retainer. Said crossstructure 62 has an opening 63 defined by spaced apart vertical side walls 64-64 and a connecting lower wall 65 spaced from the inner face of the front wall 32. The said walls 64 are spaced from the side walls 31 of the retainer in order to accommodate the ends 48 of the spring.

The pair of walls 64 in combination with the lower wall 65 combine to form a stirrup-like structure and the said walls are braced relatively to each other and to the side walls 31 of the retainer by a depending wall 66 which extends transversely between the respective side walls 31--31 of the keeper and is disposed centrally of the stirrup to form a substantially T-shaped crossbeam.

This cross-structure forms a rigid beam for supporting one end of the equalizing lever and in addition forms a substantial crossbracing member for the retainer.

The assembling operation of the lid is carried out by swinging the lever 152 from the position shown in Fig. s

12 to that shown in Fig. 13 and the said lever 152 is then retained in position by a removable pin 67 which extends through openings 68 formed in side wall sections 37-37. The lid 24 is then pivotally mounted in place and the pin 68 withdrawn allowing the lever 152 to rest on the lug 26.

While I employ in this invention the fundamental elements described in my prior patent as above, it is pointed out that the results attained with this present invention are of an entirely different nature due in part to the difference in location and relative proportions of the parts involved.

The advance in the art as made by this present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to Fig. 8 wherein is shown the relative distribution of spring pressure between the retainer and lid. The right-hand portion of Fig. 8 illustrates the proportion of spring pressure loading transmitted to the retainer and lid through the medium of lever 152 and the left hand portion of the ligure illustrates that proportion of the spring loading which is transmitted to the lid through the actual turning movement of the retainer acting through the pintle 23.

My invention in its preferred form contemplates an equal division of the tensional force in the spring between the retainer and the lid, one half being applied directly on the lid through the medium of lever 152 and v respectively contacting the lid and retainer.

4 the other half to be transmitted through the pintle 23 at the axis of articulation.

The system of load division as above is predicated on the elimination of any appreciable turning moment of the spring when the lid is in closed position such as does not coincide with the turning moment of the retainer, which condition is attained by disposing the axis of the spring convolutions on a line passing through the axis of the hinge pintle 17 at right angles to the vertical cam face of the lug when the lid is in closed position. The division of tensional force is accomplished by adjusting the leverage of lever 152 to impose one half of the spring force on the retainer at a location midway of the pivotal axes and the other half through the medium of lever 152.

Assuming the maximum permissible spring pressure of 60 pounds at the center of the lid allowed by the regulations of the Association of American Railroads, I have indicated in Figure 9 the required proportions and placement of the parts necessary to effect an equal distribution of the spring loading between the retainer and the lid.

The loading of the retainer is effected midway of the distance between the pivotal axes of the lid and retainer as indicated in Figure 8 wherein the total distance is indicated by the reference 6x and one half the distance by the reference 3x. The loading of the retainer is accomplished through the medium of lever 152 which is divided into two arms leading in opposite directions for The arms are in the proportion of one third and two thirds respectively designated as 1x and 2x thus operating to place one third of the spring pressure or 3() pounds on the lid directly above the axis of articulation and double this load or 60 pounds midway of the retainer. The 60 pound loading imposed midway of the retainer is the equivalent moment of 30 pounds at the outer end of the retainer and is transmitted by a turning movement of the retainer about its pintle 17 on to the pintle 23 and the latter is firmly maintained against the lid by the pressure of the spring acting through the retainer.

It will thus be seen that both the lid and retainer are maintained in rm contact with the box by two independently acting pressure sources from the one spring and the liability to wear of the parts due to vibration is materially reduced.

What is claimed as new is:

An articulated lid assembly for a journal box having an opening and a hinge lug adjacent one side of the opening, said assembly including a retainer adapted to be pivoted to the hinge lug and a lid pivoted to the retainer; said retainer including spaced apart side-walls and each said wall having adjacent its lower margin a laterally outwardly extending wall; a lug on the lid disposed between the side walls of the retainer; and a pintle extending through the lug of the lid and side walls of the retainer, said pintle being of a substantially semicircular shape in cross-section with an upper curved surface and a lower at face, said lug of the lid being of curved shape to permit of a limited extent of rocking movement around the upper surface of the pintle when the lid is in open position and said fiat face of the pintle being adapted to rest on the laterally extending walls of the retainer, said pintle having its end portions bifurcated and spread apart to present widened bearing positions in engagement with the laterally extending walls of the retainer.

References Cited in the iile of this patent and in the parent case UNITED STATES PATENTS Weber Nov. 1, 1949 

